CFS

Weight loss happens primarily in the kitchen. The goal MFP has set for you has the calorie deficit you need to lose weight, without exercise. If you have the ability to add in a walk on occasion, great! But if not, you can still lose. Read the sticky notes at the top of the getting started and general weight loss forums with the titles Most Helpful Posts. Pay particular attention to the ones on logging accurately. These will be important for you. You can do it!

These might help
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1234699/logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide/p1

I have chemical sensitivities, which has some overlap with CF and FM. I read The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science and had an Aha moment about how http://www.dnrsystem.com could work, took the workshop three years ago, and have been much improved ever since. I think about half the people in my workshop had CF and/or FM, and the workshop helped them as well.

I've felt that way, but from depression rather than chronic fatigue. I got started in losing weight for the first time in my life after changing meds and feeling like I had energy and brain space to deal with life. I don't have any answers, but I know it's hard. From what I've read weight loss generally requires eating less -exercise can help and is a great thing for you, but you can lose weight by eating less where mostly you can't by exercising only. I do know it's hard to find the energy to eat, much less worry about what you're eating when you feel like that. I hope you feel better!

Hi. I have CFS. Sadly (especially if you are a comfort eater!) watching what you eat is key.....

But don't give up on the thought of excercise too. I also take a 'spoon theory' type appraoch to my illness/ energy management and prioritise getting fit in my use of energy. I have gone from not being able to walk 10 minutes (ie school pick up) to regulaRly swimming 1k and easily able to walk for an hour. I found swimming really helpful - doing an extra lap every 3 weeks or so, and measuring how fast (not very!) I do my routines helped.(graded excercise theory) I still have relapses (and I'm not back in full blown work yet) but prioritising ever so gently increasing excercise has been really important. And I am still getting better. With swimming I can literally measure my progress....as well as eat more cake. And the fitter I am the more likely my body is to recover as long as I am not overdoing it....

It IS tough and I struggle with the comfort eating...hey ho.

Good luck.

JanetYellen wrote: »

I had fatigue and I had fibroids. Extremely heavy periods lead to an iron deficiency. If this is you, take a women's one a day that contains 100% rda of iron. http://www.everydayhealth.com/hs/guide-to-essential-nutrients/common-nutrient-deficiencies/ and eat a good diet without a lot of junk and go see your doctor.

What did you do for the fibroid? I'm trying to hold out for menopause to shrink mine.

I'm anemic, get my iron levels tested regularly, and tried about four different forms of iron before I found one that got my iron and energy levels up. In order to stay in Low Normal, I take 278% of RDA in my supplement alone - Thorne Research, Iron Bisglycinate, 60 Veggie Caps

I have CFS and fibromyalgia - was at a very low level of functioning for a number of years, where getting a shower and dressing took everything I had (and that was on a good day). Thankfully I have experienced some improvement since then, but vigorous or lengthy exercise is definitely off the table, so controlling my calories is the key for me.

I think my biggest battle with CFS and diet was, because of the crash-and-burn cycle of energy, I tended to try to give myself a boost of energy to get through the next few minutes, and that led to a lot of snacks high in sugar or salt. I would grab a soda or some chips to just be able to function for a short time. And of course, spending much time in the kitchen preparing meals was just impossibly exhausting, not to mention that grocery shopping was out of the question for a number of years.

If you have the money, getting a food delivery service may be an option. Try to choose healthy prepared foods or easy-to-fix options like chicken. If money is tight, do you have a network of family & friends, a church group, Girl Scout troop, etc. that could help you out with grocery shopping & some meal prep?

I used to have someone who would go about once a month, plus I kept a running list of things so that if a friend was coming over, I could ask them to just pick up one or two things at the convenience store on their way over. (I also kept a running list of little household tasks, so whenever someone stopped by & asked if there was anything they could do, I didn't have to wrack my foggy brain - I just looked at the list & said, Yes, could you take out the trash...help me fold laundry... or whatever little thing would only take a few minutes of their time.)

A crockpot really helps - just throw in some chicken and frozen veggies if you don't have the energy to chop fresh veggies. Keep some hardboiled eggs, cut-up veggies, and cheese sticks on hand for quick snacks. I find that carbs really make me crash, so I concentrate on keeping my protein levels up.

It took some time, but the CFS gradually diminished. If I pace myself and make sure I get enough rest before & after, I can schedule my own grocery shopping and can cook a few times a week. Just keeping track of my food on MFP has made me more aware of calorie intake and healthier choices, and I think that has helped my overall health.

It's easy to get discouraged and think "What difference does it make?" or to feel like eating is the only enjoyable thing you have left when the rest of your life has changed so radically. But take it from me, don't let yourself slide into that mentality, because 20 pounds will very rapidly turn into 50, and all that does is make everything worse - harder to get around, more pain, less restful sleep, and an overall decline in health.

Wish you the best.